What's On the Menu?
This fiery North African chili paste, made with hot peppers, garlic, olive oil, and spices like cumin and caraway, is a staple in Tunisian cuisine.
Harissa
This Middle Eastern capital is one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited cities.
Damascus
The city of Petra, carved into rose-colored rock, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in which country?
Jordan
In weddings, this communal line dance is often performed across Levantine regions.
Dabke
In 2022, this team became the first African nation to reach a FIFA World Cup semi-final.
Morocco
In Persian cuisine, this refers to the golden, crispy layer of rice at the bottom of the pan, a buttery saffron crust prized at every meal.
Tahdig
This ancient Mesopotamian invention revolutionized transportation and warfare.
The wheel
What major city is famously located on two continents at once, with part in Europe and part in Asia, divided by the Bosporus Strait?
Istanbul, Turkey
This high-pitched vocal gesture indicates a moment of celebration or an announcement.
Zaghrouta
This Palestinian-Chilean artist blends Arabic lyrics with reggaeton beats and performed at Coachella in 2023.
Elyanna
This tangy, crimson-colored spice is made from the dried, ground berries of a wild shrub and often used in many Middle Eastern dishes.
Sumac
Often called the first charter of human rights, this cylinder was issued after the conquest of Babylon by this Persian king, founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Its namesake derives from him.
Cyrus the Great
This mountain range stretches across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
Atlas Mountains
This traditional Amazigh tattoo pattern often placed on the chin or hands symbolizes protection and tribal identity.
Siyala (or facial tattoo)
A Netflix dramedy about a Palestinian refugee family in Texas was co-created by a stand-up comedian who also stars.
Mo
The national dish of Jordan features tender lamb cooked in a tangy sauce of fermented dried yogurt served over a large platter of rice and flatbread.
Mansaf
The 20th-century Lebanese writer Khalil Gibran wrote most of his famous book The Prophet in this language.
English
The shoreline of this hypersaline lake is Earth’s lowest point on land (around 430 m below sea level in the mid‑2010s).
Dead Sea
UNESCO inscribed the craft and performance tradition for this pear-shaped lute instrument shared by Iran and Syria.
Oud
This black-and-white animated film, named after an ancient Persian capital, tells the autobiographical story of a girl growing up during the Iranian Revolution and navigating exile, identity, and resistance.
Persepolis
This dried yogurt product, often in ball or powder form, is central to many countries across the MENA and Central Asian region.
Jameed/Kurut
This Arab scientist wrote the Book of Optics in the 11th century, which laid foundations for the modern camera.
Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen)
The unique terraced farming system of the Haraz Mountains in Yemen is famous for growing what globally prized export?
Yemeni coffee (qishr or mocha)
In tatreez (Palestinian embroidery), a pattern of a cypress tree often symbolizes this idea.
Steadfastness or rooted identity
The village of Matmata in Tunisia, famous for its cave dwellings, was used as a filming location for which sci-fi franchise?
Star Wars